Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,
Whether summer clothe the general earth
With greeness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,
Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.



Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!


As with the previous post I don't think I can improve on my Christmas post from last year so here it is again:)

The Night Before Christmas was always my children's bedtime story on Christmas Eve.
So for all of us who still feel the magic of this night......

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,
When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.
The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.




More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;
"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"
As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.



As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.
He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.
His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;
The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;
He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night."




May I wish all of you a very Happy Christmas!

17 comments:

Kath said...

Ah ha! I remember this post! :D
We shall be reading this tonight :)
A very Merry Christmas to you Rowan, my love to you and the family, all the very best for the coming year.
Kath xx

Rosie said...

Lovely - thank you! Happy Christmas to you and yours Rowan:)

Anonymous said...

That's lovely Rowan, its good to recycle anyway.{:)

RosieB said...

What a lovely post! 'Twas the night was my kids favourite christmas record - an LP by Jimminy Cricket - when they were little and when I downsized a few years ago that was the only thing they argued over! ;)

Merry Christmas!

Unknown said...

And Happy Christmas Eve to you too, Rowan!

Diane said...

My son is going to read it to us tonight after church and after the rotary club santa has been round. Have a lovley Christmas Rowan, so glad to have had your company in 2010 and looking forward to meeting up when the ice has thawed! xxxx

Mac n' Janet said...

Thank you for the post, Merry Christmas.

George said...

And a very, Merry Christmas to you and your family, Rowan. May the season and the new year bring many blessings to your lives!

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

Wonderful - and may your christmas be the same!

Anonymous said...

A very Merry Christmas to you and your family, Rowan!

Janet said...

You're right....it's the perfect post for Christmas Eve.

Merry Christmas!!!

Lynda (Granny K) said...

Blessings of the Season Rowan!

Medieval Muse said...

Warmest of blessing to you and your family.

WOL said...

Have a very Merry and a safe and sane Happy! WOL(8>)

Thimbleanna said...

I love that poem -- and with the pictures? Beautiful!

kerrdelune said...

I love it - I absolutely love it.

Mimi Foxmorton said...

What an absolutely beautiful blog!
I look forward to following!
Brigh Blessings to you and yours!
~Mimi
www.thegoatborrower.blogspot.com